Sulong-agham book series launched with first title ‘Ang Doktor ng Dagat’
PIONEERING oceanographer and marine scientist Dr. Deo Florence Onda of the UPD-CS Marine Science Institute recalled how he all but stumbled into becoming a scientist, initially pursuing a biology degree to later fulfilling his parents’ wishes for him to become a medical doctor.
However, he quickly discovered that his interests were elsewhere.
“While I was studying biology, I realized that I was not interested in human biology. One day, I wrote to my parents. I told them that I will not take medicine. I just want to continue being a biologist and become a marine biologist afterwards,” Onda said in Filipino.
Onda’s life and work was the story in the book, Ang Doktor ng Dagat, the first in the miltilingual children’s book series Sulongagham.
The book series was launched recently with Ang Doktor ng Dagat, its first book. It was graced by Ang Doktor ng Dagat author, former UPD-CAL dean and professor emeritus Dr. Rosario Torres-yu, and Onda.
Written in Filipino, Cuyonon language (spoken in coastal areas in Palawan and the Cuyo Islands) and English, the storybook talks about Onda’s life and work as the first Filipino and one of the first humans ever to explore Emden Deep in the Philippine Trench—the third deepest place in the world’s oceans.
Onda reminisced during the launching about the thrill of his adventure in Emden Deep. He admitted that it was a scary once-in-a-lifetime experience that he just couldn’t pass up.
“How many times does a scientist becomes a subject of a news story? How many times does a scientist become a topic of a story in the whole country? Very limited. Very seldom. There were a few opportunities,” he added.
But Onda quickly added that the real story at the heart of Ang Doktor ng Dagat is much bigger than himself. It is about the liberation and empowerment that comes from following a dream.
“I have been saying that the story of Emden Deep is much further than my story. It is a story of children who had a dream, dreaming and fulfilling their dreams. I hope the story of Doktor ng Dagat will be an inspiration to children who have not much opportunities in life. I hope it will become a way for them to dream, and the people who would help them will also be inspired to help them,”onda said.
A group of science teachers was behind the launching of Sulong-agham at University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). The endeavor aim to inspire Filipino children to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics by showcasing the lives and work of Filipino scientists.
It was the result of a partnership between the UPD College of Science (UPD-CS) and nonprofit organization Supling Sining Inc., together with the UPD College of Arts and Letters Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikang Pilipino.
With the successful launch of the first book, Torres-yu announced that the next title in the series will discuss the life and work of famed Filipino biologist Leonard Co.
Moreover, Torres-yu also talked about how Ang Doktor ng Dagat began as a passion project during the pandemic.
For Torres-yu, it was a creative spark of hope at a time when it was most needed.
“Based on my experience, my belief grew stronger that the creative imagination became my paddle in rowing the sea of fear, lack of hope and sadness to be able to discover the mission to create stories that will open the Filipino children to the world of science,” Torres-yu said in Filipino.
UPD-CS Dean Giovanni Tapang highlighted the rarity of children’s books that feature scientists. He expressed hope that the Sulongagham book series could help children see scientists in a more positive light.
“It is important to have this kind of book in order to give our children another perspective that it is good to be a scientist, to study science, because it is needed in our society now,” he said in Filipino.